Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Dec 29, 2015

ANSWER: Small

Explanation:
GoI has relaxed guidelines for small, isolated gas fields. Government has relaxed rules for sale of natural gas produced from small, isolated fields through waiving off time stipulation for fields in NE India. Oil ministry had in July 2013 allowed freedom for marketing gas produced from isolated small fields and also provided then with pricing freedom. Timeline of customers who can take supply within 90 days to be sold as gas has now been extended to one year.

ANSWER: Star Trek’s first episode

Explanation:
Johnson who is famous for writing the script for the first Star Trek episode, The Map Trap passed away at the age of 86 due to cancer. Born in 1929 in Wyoming, he debuted in the entertainment industry in the 1950s after penning an episode for Alfred Hitchcock presents. The author also co-wrote Logan’s Run with William F. Nolan.

ANSWER: High pressure sodium lamps

Explanation:
Supplemental light emitting diode lighting treatment can assist greenhouse tomato growers to reduce energy cost without impacting fruit quality attributes, as per new research. Findings indicate that energy savings LED could be an alternative to HPS or high pressure sodium lamps in greenhouse operations. LEDs have a potential for influencing phytochemical and labour profile of numerous high value crops.

ANSWER: 255-260

Explanation:
ASSOCHAM has revised FY16 export target downwards to USD 255-260 billion for 2015-2016 which was pegged at USD 310 billion in the previous fiscal, in disagreement with the claim that there is no crisis on outwards shipments front. There have been 12 straight months of decline in exports. ASSOCHAM has said the sector is in real crisis going beyond petrol products to gems, jewellery, job oriented leather and leather products.

ANSWER: Mohanty Panel Report

Explanation:
RBI on 28th December 2015 released the Mohanty Panel Report on medium term path for financial inclusion. Financial inclusion is aimed at delivering financial serves at affordable cost to disadvantaged and low income segments of society. The key aim is to improve the credit system for the underprivileged and focus on poorer agricultural households to ensure shift of credit demand from informal to formal sector. As per the report, banks have to make special efforts for opening up accounts for women and girls and a unique biometric identifier such as Aadhaar will be linked to every individual credit account. The report also stressed on improving last mile service delivery.

ANSWER: GiveitUp

Explanation:
GoI has announced a new rule that individuals earning INR 10 lakh or more will lose their eligibility for subsidised LPG cylinders as per a fresh rule implemented from January 2016. Individuals earning 10 lakh or more per year will not be eligible for subsidised LPG cylinders in line with bringing down the LPG subsidy. PM Narendra Modi has led the GiveitUp campaign asking people to voluntarily give up their subsidy. Around 57 lakh persons have given up their subsidy so far, yet this is only 3.5% of 16 crore customers using LPG.

ANSWER: Beyond Visual Range

Explanation:
Indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range air to air missile, Astra on 25th December 2015 has been successfully test fired off the coast of Odisha near the ITR of Balasore. The missile also underwent successful ground based trials in December 2015 near Pune. Tests validated the ECCM or Electronic Counter-Counter Measure feature of the missile to overcome jamming. The missile will be inducted into the Air Force in 2016. Astra is India’s first BVRAAM or Beyond Visual Range air to air missile that can engage in targets at 37 km or beyond with operational range of 60 km. The 3.8 m long missile is the smallest to be developed by DRDO.

ANSWER: Satyavati Berera

Explanation:
PriceWaterhouseCooper is the fourth largest accounting firm in India. Satyavati Berera became the first Indian COO of a Big 4 accounting firm on 27th December 2015. She will take charge as COO on January 1st, 2016 and replace Neil Wilson who will move to London as global operations partner with PriceWaterhouseCooper. She will follow Deepak Kapoor in the hierarchy. She has been a partner with the firm since the 1990s. The big 4 are the largest international professional services networks offering audit, assurance, tax, consulting and more.

ANSWER: 4

Explanation:
8th National Steering Committee on Climate Change has approved 4 projects from TN, Punjab and Kerala and also a single project submitted by MP government.Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) submitted by Government of Tamil Nadu and Government of Kerala for funding under the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) and demonstration projects submitted by Government of Madhya Pradesh, Government of Punjab and Government of Tamil Nadu under Climate Change Action Programme (CCAP) were submitted.

ANSWER: 25th December

Explanation:
A national event and week on good governance was inaugurated on December 28th 2015 and 25th respectively at IHC. The event was organised in participation of DietY, DOP and DoT. Successful implementation of Digital India will transform India into a digitally empowered society. India Post will also launch Payment Banking by March 2017.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
This day was celebrated at Sriganganagar Military Station and a small village close to the international boundary called Nagi in the memory of soldiers who had laid down their lives for the Battle of Nagi between December 27th, 28th 1971. To celebrate the occasion, numerous events were held at the Nagi Memorial on 27th and 28th December 2015.

ANSWER: Kelkar Committee

Explanation:
According to the Union Budget 2015-2016, FM Arun Jaitley has announced PPP mode of infrastructure development has to be revised and revitalised. Committee on Revisiting and Revitalising the PPP model of Infrastructure Development chaired by Dr. Vijay Kelkar has submitted its report.

ANSWER: Women and Child Development

Explanation:
In keeping with the Good Governance initiative of the PM of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched an e-office in the Ministry. This is the big step forward for paperless functioning and it brings transparency and accountability to step up delivery mechanisms. NCW will be brought under the ambit of the e-office soon.

ANSWER: 4G

Explanation:
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has on 27th December 2015 launched the 4G service marking the birth anniversary of Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of RIL. Currently, it is limited to employees and families of the company. Commercial services are expected to commence from April 2016. The 4G service has a 3 pronged focus on broadband networks, reasonably priced smartphones and availability of rich content. Users will also have the option to switch to 5G later.

ANSWER: Microsoft India

Explanation:
Seeking to improve use of ICT and drive digital inclusion to provide better citizen services, AP government has signed an MoU with Microsoft India during a meeting hosted between C. Naidu, the state CM and Microsoft India’s Satya Nadella. As per the MoU, Microsoft India will provide technical knowledge to the AP government supporting three PoC or proof of concept solutions by applying Microsoft Azure Machine learning and advanced visualisation in fields of education, eCitizen services and agriculture.